[Anglican Devotional 20 July 2023] Topic: Joy Comes In The Morning
TOPIC: Joy Comes In The Morning
READ: Esther 9:1-19(NKJV)
Now in the twelfth month, that [is,] the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, [the time] came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people.
And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
For Mordecai [was] great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent.
Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.
And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha —
the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews — they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king.
And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what [is] your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what [is] your further request? It shall be done.”
Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who [are] in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”
So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
And the Jews who [were] in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
[This was] on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth day of [the month] they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
But the Jews who [were] at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth [day,] as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of [the month] they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar [with] gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another.
MESSAGE:
When Haman got the permission of king Ahaseurus to kill all the Jews, there was confusion, weeping, wailing and mourning all over the city (4:1-3). Mordecai declared fasting and instructed the Jews to put on sack clothes and lie in ashes. The news got to Queen Esther and she risked her life to see the king (4:16). God gave Esther favour before the king and the decree was reversed. The Jews rejoiced greatly for the victory God granted them before their enemies (vv. 5-10). A day of feasting and gladness was fixed by the Jews to celebrate this victory.
Child of God, you may currently be weeping, despair and even depression. “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Trust in God more than ever and be confident that He is in control. Your present situation is not going to be permanent; it will soon fade away. Every problem has its expiry date. Your time to laugh and dance is very close by. You should never think that God is unfair to you. Note that every cloud has a silver lining. Keep trusting Him and you will soon laugh.
Prayer: Lord, give me grace to persevere and keep trusting you in Jesus’ name. (Amen)
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